Taste of the Caribbean and Red Lounge: A Story of Jamaican Authenticity Amidst Shifting Demographics
“Dwayne and I are in this because we love our culture and we probably will grind to the very end, but this is not sustainable,” Taste of the Caribbean co-owner Carlene Comrie said.
By Mead Gill - #SupportBlackBusiness
Tucked behind a fluorescent mural of fruits and beaches is Taste of the Caribbean and Red Lounge, a vibrant restaurant and bar committed to bringing authentic Jamaican culture to Seattle’s Central District.
Owners Dwayne Blake and Carlene Comrie have been satisfying the community’s craving of Jamaican cuisine for nearly 12 years, navigating the crippling challenges facing the Central District from shifting demographics to increased minimum wage, while staying committed to their Jamaican roots.
Bringing Jamaica to the Emerald City
After the previous owners offered Blake the restaurant space, Comrie relocated from Boston to help bring to life the vibrant Jamaican landmark Taste of the Caribbean is today.
"I decided, okay, I'll take the adventure on,” he said. “And first call was to Carlene to say, 'Hey, I've been given this opportunity and I want to take it on. Would you be my partner in this?' And she was like, 'Yes, let's do it.'"
Both Blake and Comrie are Jamaican immigrants, and their goal has always been to share their home with the community.
"Really what we want for folks and what we try to curate for our customers is a taste of home," Comrie said. "The West Coast isn't as synonymous with Caribbean food, and so having that here, all the transplants from the East Coast or from the Caribbean or just lovers of culture, wherever they're from, they can come and get a little bit of the Caribbean when they walk through our doors."
Video: Influencer Mark Quiroz visits Taste of the Caribbean to try their jerk wings, curried goat, oxtail, and rum punch, amongst other authentic Jamaican dishes on the restaurant’s extensive menu.
A Mouth-Watering Menu
Taste of the Caribbean’s menu shows off Blake and Comrie’s deep cultural connection with Jamaican classics like curried goat, fried plantains, and fried chicken with curry gravy. Blake’s personal favorite is the beef patty with coco bread, a dish he remembers eating regularly for lunch in Jamaica. Comrie’s favorite dish is the pork jerk. “We use the pork belly with the rib, and so of all the meats, the fat from the pork picks up the flavor of the jerk so well,” Comrie said. “But you have to not be on a diet to have that one.”
Oxtail is the restaurant’s most popular dish, which they served to Chris Brown after he requested Jamaican food to be catered at his most recent concert at Climate Pledge Arena. Taste of the Caribbean’s culinary authenticity attracted the likes of Chance the Rapper, who stopped in for Afrobeats night as well as Damian Marley, a Jamaican reggae musician and son of Bob Marley.
Blake poses with Damian Marley, a Jamaican reggae musician and the son of the legendary Bob Marley, who stopped by Taste of the Caribbean for some authentic Jamaican food.
The Red Lounge Experience
Red Lounge is the nightlife counterpart to Taste of the Caribbean and is a popular spot for reggae, dancehall, and African music. Red Lounge is also where Blake transforms into ZJ Redman, the house DJ. It has hosted many international artists, such as Elephant Man, Konshense, Christopher Martin and many others. It’s known for giving Seattle "a taste of the Caribbean".
Representing the owners’ value of inclusivity, Red Lounge is a space that is inclusive to all people, and gives off welcoming and open vibes. Comrie said that many of Red Lounge’s regular customers are transgender and represent Red Lounge’s commitment toward creating a safe and inclusive space for all people. “They’re free to be themselves,” Comrie said.
Besa Gordon stops by Taste of Caribbean and poses with Blake before sitting down for her favorite dishes at the restaurant.
Challenges Facing the Central District
Gentrification has taken its toll on brick-and-mortar businesses in the Central District, increasing the number of new residents in the neighborhood while forcing out old residents that made up Taste of the Caribbean’s regular customer base. All of a sudden, community oriented businesses like Taste of the Caribbean turn from staple gathering spots where customers stop by a few times a week to mere destinations.
"A lot of our regular customers have relocated either out of state, [or] out of reach because the city has gotten so expensive," Comrie said, observing a sharp decrease in foot traffic since Covid in both the restaurant and the Red Lounge. "And I don't think we're unique.”
Blake and Comrie continued fighting through the debilitating repercussions of gentrification, watching their core customer base relocate outside of Seattle to more affordable living conditions as wealthier residents move in. These shifting demographics are directly linked to the increasingly challenging environment Black-owned businesses and other small businesses owned by people of color face on a regular basis.
"That neighborhood that has moved in, they're not gravitating to the Black businesses," Comrie said, a sentiment shared by Terrell Jackson whose Central District gem Jackson’s Catfish Corner closed last month.
Just as the number of residents who could no longer afford the cost of living increased, so did the cost of operating a commercial kitchen that prioritizes a steadfast value of cultural authenticity.
"The food cost is higher than just getting some teriyaki up the street," Comrie said. "To keep it authentically Jamaican, we freight in most of the ingredients for seasonings and spices and flavor that would make it give you the real Jamaican flavor." These authentic Jamaican ingredients increase production costs in an already unforgiving economy.
Struggling Through the Minimum Wage Increase
Taste of the Caribbean was able to manage the previous minimum wage hike because they offered benefits and tips to their staff, which offset the lower pay. “We were able to take advantage of the lower end of that ramp because we offset their pay with…medical benefits, as well as the front of the front of the house gets tips,” Comrie said.
The latest minimum wage hike is negatively impacting Taste of the Caribbean because it makes it immensely difficult to manage costs. Even though they offer benefits and tips to their staff, Comrie explained that the new wage increase makes it difficult to offset pay with those benefits, directly impacting their bottom line.
"This new increase does not afford that," Comrie said, referring to the ability to offset wages with benefits. "...It's not that you don't want to pay your staff, because they deserve it. It's just not manageable when you're already in the red or near the red because you can't sustain."
Managing the impossible balance between fairly paying employees and keeping their doors open is a heartbreaking dilemma for Taste of the Caribbean to navigate, especially as a small business where they witness first hand how hard their staff works.
“We’re a small enough restaurant where we’re a family,” Comrie said, explaining that their chef who has been with Taste of the Caribbean since 2015 and has a family of his own to take care of, meaning that even marginal sacrifices to wage and benefits could impact his ability to continue his employment at the restaurant. “You have to do right by the staff, and I think we want to do that. But I do think that this big jump is not manageable for smaller businesses that are already struggling,” Comrie said.
“We love our culture. I bleed Jamaican blood. So for me, I think we grind because we know that, hey, we love it,” Comrie said.
A Fight for Black Business and Culture
While fighting through the Central District’s dramatic shifts, Taste of the Caribbean remains a welcoming space and cultural hub for the community. Blake and Comrie are working to expand Red Lounge’s nightlife and grow the restaurant’s name for catering to stay in business. They have also started to host a Soca night to appeal to the Bajan community and are trying to incorporate more Afrobeats nights.
“Dwayne and I are in this because we love our culture and we probably will grind to the very end, but this is not sustainable,” Comrie said.
The owners vowed to stay committed to providing authentic Jamaican cuisine and culture to the Central District and urged people of all cultural identities to show up for a reggae night and experience an authentic taste of the Caribbean.
“We love our culture. I bleed Jamaican blood. So for me, I think we grind because we know that, hey, we love it,” Comrie said.
#SupportBlackBusiness
The story of Taste of the Caribbean and Red Lounge highlights the challenges faced by many Black-owned businesses, serving as a reminder of the importance of supporting these businesses and recognizing their contributions to our communities.
It is up to the community to ensure that businesses like Taste of the Caribbean and Red Lounge not only survive but thrive in an ever-changing environment.
Taste of the Caribbean and Red Lounge
1212 East Jefferson Street
Seattle, WA 98122
Instagram: @tasteofthecaribbean
Phone: 206-323-9112
This article is part of Converge Media’s Support Black Business Campaign. Please click here to learn more and support!
